Daily News

Australia too strong for Cork students

Australia geared up for the 2010 Irish Daily Mail International Rules series with Ireland as they enjoyed a strong victory over a UCC/CIT combination at Páirc Uí Rinn in Cork on Wednesday night.

While a victory for the visitors was always going to be pretty much a certainty, the ‘home’ team certainly did not disgrace themselves, coming more into the game as it went on and providing some cheer for the attendance of 2,867.

Despite the Cork combination making a burst from the initial throw-in, it did not unfortunately usher in anything resembling a residence in Australian territory, as the tourists ruthlessly set about fine-tuning their machinery ahead of Saturday night’s first test in Limerick.

Cork was the venue for the first-ever compromise rules in test in 1984, in a game infamous for a large row between the opposing sides, but in the opening two quarters any aggression seemed to be coming from the Australians.

With Jack Riewoldt incredibly dangerous in the full-forward line for them, they raced into an early lead that only increased as the quarter wore on, 19 points (0-5-5 to 0-0-1) between the sides after the first 18-minute hooter, Mark Collins with Cork’s solitary behind after he intercepted an intended pass across the Australian goal.

Riewoldt continued to wreak havoc in the second quarter, Eddie Betts, Sam Gilbert and Travis Varcoe also dangerous, and it was Riewoldt who scored the first goal for Australia in the 29th minute after a good Jarrad McVeigh pass.

By half-time it was 54-1, the greater sharpness of the Aussies clearly showing as they also got to grips better with the physical side of the game, the students struggling to make, and break, tackles, and only good goalkeeping from Brian Walsh prevented Australia from more six-pointers.

Despite Bryce Gibbs getting Australia’s second goal early in the third quarter after a nice Adam Goodes reverse pass, there was something for the home side to cheer as two overs in a row, from Paul Honohan and Ciaran Sheehan, cut the gap, however slightly.

Hugh Curran scored another for Cork, after Colm O’Neill had slipped when played in by Curran for a goal opportunity, but Australia continued to have more firepower, leading 76-12 as the fourth quarter dawned.

With the tempo having dropped considerably in the last quarter, scores were rarer commodities, but there was still time for Brad Greene to snaffle two late goals for Australia, breaking the 100-point barrier with his second just before the final hooter.